How to fix a Windows PC that automatically boots up after shutdown



How to fix a Windows PC that automatically boots up after shutdown

When you soft shutdown (from the start menu) or hard shutdown (by long pressing the power button ) , you expect the PC to go off and stay that way not so? What then do you do when the PC keeps booting up itself even after shutting down, more like a restart? This could be very scary and frustrating for a novice as it’s a sign of more serious problems on the PC (and is often associated with the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) ; see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/the-blue-screen-of-death-bsod/ ) so we’ll be discussing the causes of this anomaly, how to resolve it and also how to prevent future occurrence.

What could cause a PC to automatically boot despite being shutdown?

The most  common causes of this issue include:

  • Wake On LAN: Your BIOS / Network card settings might have been set to wake the PC once there’s an available WLAN (Wi-Fi) connection
  • Remain on after a power failure setting: The BIOS might have been configured to attempt to remain on after a sudden power failure
  • Faulty PSU: The Power Supply Unit (PSU) might be having problems keeping electricity, making the BIOS think there was a sudden power cut
  • PC set to restart on crash: The PC might have been set to restart upon a sudden crash
  • Outdated BIOS: The BIOS might be outdated or misconfigured
  • Sticky power button: The power button might be a sticky key
  • Instantboot.exe from AsRock Utility: If you installed Mobo drivers then Instantboot.exe might be the culprit
  • Faulty power cable / power supply: The power cable or power source might be faulty

How do I fix a PC that automatically boots (turns on itself) despite shutting down?

When faced with such a situation, consider the following fixes:

  • Check that the power button isn’t stuck: Check to be sure that the power button isn’t getting stuck or depressed
  • Disable Wake on LAN in BIOS: Boot into BIOS (keep tapping F10 on boot) > Go to BIOS > Power management > Disable Remain on after power failure
  • Edit sysdm.cpl: Press the Start menu > Search for sysdm.cpl and launch it > Click on Advanced > Click Settings (under Startup and recovery) > Untick Automatically restart > Click OK > Restart the PC
  • Edit the PowerdownAfterShutdown key: Press the Start menu > Search for regedit and launch it> Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/Winlogon > Double-click PowerdownAfterShutdown > Change to 0 if its set to 1 or change to 1 if its set to 0 > Restart the PC
  • Disable Wake On LAN (under Device manager): Press the Start menu > Search for Device manager and launch it > Navigate to Network adapter > Right-click on your Network Card > Select Properties > Navigate to the Power management tab > Untick Allow this device to wake up the computer > Press Ok to save
  • Disable Wake On LAN (under Regedit): Press the Start menu > Search for regedit and launch it > Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/NativeWifiP/Parameters/  set EnableWoWLAN to 0
  • Reset BIOS to default or try BIOS update: Boot into BIOS (keep tapping F10 on boot) and reset BIOS to default. If this doesn’t work then consider a BIOS update
  • System restore: If this began recently and might have been caused by a recent installation or configuration then consider a system restore ( See https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-do-a-system-restore-on-a-pc/ )
  • Uninstall Mobo drivers > If you have Mobo drivers installed then boot the PC into safe mode (keep tapping F8 on boot) > Open C: > Navigate to Program files (x86) > AsRock Utility > Delete the Instantboot folder
  • Change Power cable / source: Try using another power cable / power supply

How can I avoid a future occurrence?

This is an indicator that there are some unaddressed issues on the PC. Its important to:

Hovatek….just a button away!



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